VIKING LODGE

Just back from an awesome week long visit to Viking Lodge in Wrangell St Elias National Park.  This homesteader's cabin was built in the early '70s and is available for public use at no charge.  Reservations, however, are required.


The difference between Caribou and Reindeer...Caribou can't fly

Its approximately 260 miles from Anchorage to the beginning of the Nabesna Road, making this a bit of a road trip.  Champ and I had decent weather for most of the trip but a
blowing snowstorm made the last 30 miles on the Tok Cutoff more fun than we wanted. Once we reached Nabesna Road the weather cleared.  After just a few miles , we were welcomed by a herd of caribou, two of which are pictured here.

A nice trail is always...nice!

The trail to Viking Lodge is located at mile 21 of the Nabesna Road.  We reached it at about 5pm ready to stretch our legs after the long drive.  Lucky for us, a prior user had established a nice firm trail through the snow to the cabin.  Pulling the sled was easy work for Champ and we soon made our way the 1/3 mile to Viking Lodge.  We reached the cabin with daylight to spare and in short order we had sledded two loads of gear to our temporary home.

The cabin is heated by a barrel stove.  In no time the cabin was warm despite the 8 degrees on the outside thermometer.  Champ decided his bed worked best if it was next to the stove.  A slight snowfall started as we settled in for the night but soon gave way to clear skies.  The long drive must have tired us out as we hit the hay by 9 pm.




Friday morning we were up early and soon had a fire roaring in the stove.  Having skipped dinner the night before, the ham and egg breakfast was thoroughly enjoyed.  I then spent the morning exploring around the cabin.  I found a number of spruce rounds buried in the snow so I fetched the snow shovel and dug several out.  Splitting them with an ax took up most of the morning but its always good to have extra firewood.  After a lunch of potato salad, Champ and I walked east along the Nabesna Road for a mile or so, marveling at the quiet and solitude.  Then we loaded up the sled with more supplies and headed back to the cabin.  Reading and resting occupied our time till dinner when we enjoyed a meal of chicken and dressing and green beans.  And kibble of course.  Following dinner, we planned to relax by the fire but plans changed with the arrival of our friend Carl the bush kangaroo.  We were glad to see Carl and certainly more than willing to help him haul the firewood he brought with him to the cabin.  With all the wood he brought, we weren't going to freeze no matter what the weather did!













Hello

Been awhile since I posted anything.  Blame Facebook.

SHIP LAKE PASS

January 7 found Champ and me meeting a few fellow adventurers for a trip to Ship Pass.  Temperature's were hovering near zero when we started out from the Prospects Heights TH.  Snow was deep as we trudged down Powerline Trail, and then crossed over and headed up the valley to Ship Pass.  Took us about 4 hours to reach the Pass, and snow was lightly falling the whole way.  Not much to see given the conditions up top, but a great saturday workout.

BYERS LAKE

We love visiting the state owned cabins at Byers Lake in the winter.  The scenery & solitude can't be beat, especially when Mt McKinley (aka Denali) makes an appearance.  Thanksgiving weekend we were invited to spend a few days with friends who had reserved Cabin 3.  Our last visit to this cabin was in January 2011, and the temperatures bottomed out at minus 30.  This visit was lots warmer, only minus ten.  By the time we got there Friday evening, David and Traci had the place warmed up nicley.  If anything, the inside of the cabin was too warm!

The mountain was out Saturday morning.  Pictures just don't show how majestic Denali is, rising above its sister peaks in the Alaska Range. Always feel lucky when I see the mountain.

Lynx Lake

Last week we ventured north under slighty cloudy skies to Nancy Lakes State Recreation Area.  Our destination - Lynx Lake PUC 1.  Champ and I spent a miserable night here last year about this same time.  Most of the misery was mine as I had a head cold, no sinus medicine, and a leaking air mattress.  Tried to sleep on Champ's bed but was up every hour to clear my head and as soon as I left the bed he reclaimed it.  Believe it was a tad cold too with temperatures south of zero.  Fun stuff.

This trip was a pleasure.  We had mild temperatures (20's) and a blanket of fresh snow on our way to the cabin.  We took a detour and actually found a route in that I had been looking for the past few years.  That it turned out to be a "long cut" was no biggie, just more exercise.  Lots of fresh moose, hare and fox tracks in the snow but not one sign of people.  Nice to have the place to ourselves.

Pleasantly surprised to find enough wood at the cabin to keep us toastie all night.  Having brought the ax, I spent a few minutes splitting enough spruce and birch for the next lucky occupants.  The snow continued to fall most of the evening and the skies stayed cloudy so no northern lights.  Too bad as this cabin, while tiny, has a big picture window facing north across the lake.

The fresh snow gave us a little workout on our way home.  As usual, Champ pulled the sled and Nancy broke trail.  I drove!

Catching up

Well another year is winding down and as usual, I've gotten behind on blogging.  Since last we met, I've been to Texas for a Hoe Down and a visit with Pops and the siblings.  Always nice to see family.  Spent a few days at the lakehouse enjoying the mild weather.

The lovely Cossette

Also got to catch up with my old friends some of whom I started school with and have know all my life.  Even squeezed in a visit to Beaumont to see Kellye & David, and my ex secretary Cossette.










Since our return lots of stuff has been happening.  Went to the Roller Derby for the first time - a blast.  Got our first snow on October 28th and then the stuff just kept falling.  Getting close to record amounts for November at about 36 inches.  Moose hunted. Enjoyed the great outdoors with two cabin camping trips.  The first was to Bald Lake the week before Thanksgiving.  Braved 80 mph winds to hike the short distance to the cabin and then lay awake listening to the roar as the wind increased!  Our second trip was to Byers Lake just after Thanksgiving.  Minus 15 but we stayed toasty warm.

WOLVERINE

Beautiful weather on Monday with a promise of more to come made me decide Wolverine Peak would be the perfect sendoff for my journey to Texas.  After all, the mountains in Texas are pretty few so I would be without for awhile.  So  Tuesday morning, after getting up at the crack of dawn and getting the winter tires put on, Champ and I were off to Prospect Heights trailhead. 

With only one other vehicle in the parking lot, we had a great swath of Chugach State Park to ourselves.  Twenty degrees at 10 am but the sun was out and no wind.  Great hiking conditions.  What little water in the trail was frozen, making even the muddy portions a breeze.  In no time at all we reached the notch atop the first steep climb.  A break for water and a few pics of Anchorage in the distance, and we were ready for the real climb to begin. 

A lot more slowly than before, we trudged up the approach to the ridge leading to Wolverine.  A brilliant sunny day had us sweating despite the cool temperature.  On gaining the ridge, we met the only other person we saw all day.  As we passed, he let us know that a band of sheep were just below the peak on the backside of the mountain.  Hoping that they would hang around till we got there, we plodded along enjoying the great views in all directions.  Nothing like ridge walking on a sunny windless day.

A few hundred feet short of the summit, the snow was abundant enough for us to put on our "crampons."  Then a quick push had us at the top.  As luck would have it, the sheep were still there, and graciously agreed to pose for pictures.  Champ felt sure he could join them as they perched atop a crag just below us.  I disabused him of that notion promptly.

My first time to the summit was worth all the effort.  In addition to the sheep, a raven and magpie joined us for brief visits.  I have to believe they enjoyed the majestic vistas as much as us.  Far in the distance, Long Lake could be seen on one side of a dividing ridge.  On the other, Williwaw Lakes.  Lots of snow covered these gems and it hardly seemed possible that we had backpacked there as recently as August.  Winter comes fast in Alaska.